An early 20th century view of the stately residence taken from North Vienna Street in Ruston, Louisiana.

MUSEUM BUILDING HISTORYThe Kidd-Davis house was donated to the Lincoln Parish Museum & Historical Society in 1975 by Mary Olive Davis Green and Charlotte Davis Parrot. Constructed in 1886 for the Captain Milton B. Kidd family, the house had four rooms around the large hall, an upstairs loft, a semi-attached kitchen, and indoor plumbing.

In 1921, Kidd’s son, Captain Emmet Leroy Kidd, sold the house to Robert Wesley Davis, one of the founders of the Davis Brothers’ Lumber Company. Mr. Davis’s wife was Charlotte Arabella Long, sister of governors Huey and Earl Long. The family made additions and changes to the house, with the last major remodel completed in 1938, directed by architect William King Stubbs. He changed the columns, added Chippendale top railings, and enclosed part of the front porch. In 1984, the property was listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Murals throughout the museum's foyer depict historical scenes from the early years of Ruston and Lincoln Parish.

“THE WALLS THAT TALK” MURALSIn 1978, Louisiana Tech art students, under the direction of Mary Moffett and Nancy Marabella, used original historic photographs to design murals for the front entry hall. Using an opaque projector to project photographs on the walls, the students painted seven murals showing vignettes from Ruston and Lincoln Parish history. In 2009, voices of Lincoln Parish citizens were recorded telling the stories behind the murals to create the “Walls that Talk” audio tour.

The Victorian furniture in the museum's parlor was donated by the family of Col. James Standifer.

TREASURED ITEMSThe vintage furnishings in the museum were donated by area residents. The Victorian furniture in the parlor was given by the family of Col. Tom Standifer, who lived down the street in what is known as the James House. The chandelier in the foyer was a gift from Agnes Robinson Grafton of Bernice in memory of her parents, the Poole Robinsons, and the dining room chandelier was a donation from the Floyd James family.

Various display cases throughout the museum contain a multitude of treasured items collected and donated by those with connections to Ruston and Lincoln Parish. Please click on the 'Gallery' link above to learn more.

A drawing of the Presbyterian Church of Ruston, located on North Bonner Street, by Dr. White. The church was founded in 1923 and listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1984.

DR. JAMES C. WHITE CHURCH DRAWINGS Dr. James C. White has donated seventy-two original drawings and four prints of his drawings to the Lincoln Parish Museum. These drawings are churches representing all denominations from our state of Louisiana. At the present time, we are showing four of his church drawings and a print of the F. E. Morgan Warehouse.

An example of Mrs. DeCinter Farley's paintings depicting scenes from her family's farm in Claiborne Parish.

DECINTER CARAWAY FARLEY COLLECTIONThe DeCinter Caraway Farley collection was donated Mrs. Yvonne Turner, Mr. Jewette Farley, and Ms. Margaret DeCinter Farley Bass, the children of Mrs. Farley. The collection includes 23 delightful paintings depicting the memories of her childhood, each one rich in color and detail. Mrs. DeCinter Farley had the privilege of showing her work at the 1984 World’s Fair in New Orleans, where her work was appreciated by visitors from around the globe! To learn more about the collection, please click here.

An example of the clay pottery that can be seen in the museum's permanent collection.

NATIVE AMERICAN COLLECTIONThe museum houses a large collection of Native American artifacts, featuring many pieces of pottery and arrowheads from the Caddo tribe. This collection was a gift from the W. W. Todd family in Bienville Parish. For more information about the Native American tribes of Lincoln Parish, please click here.